


Say You Love Me Again

by AssassinSoldier



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Mando speaks Mando'a
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:33:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24112114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssassinSoldier/pseuds/AssassinSoldier
Summary: “Think you can take care of him?” He asked her, nodding his helmet towards the child.Sola turned her head to look at the creature, her heart already overflowing with the desire to hold him and nurture him. She nodded and reached out to gently touch the creature’s ear. “I would do my best or die trying.” She admitted, unsure of where the instinct to protect him had come from.
Relationships: The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure there are a billion Mando pics like this, but this is my own version and I just really love Din and his son.

Sola was no stranger to Navarro. The bounty hunters there all seemed to like that they had a medic around that wasn’t a droid and didn’t ask questions. They all had a grudging respect for her ability to patch them up quickly and get them back out to hunting. She made enough from some to keep herself fed and pay the rent on the small office/home she used; the rest paid in a semblance of protection.

She heard a heavy thump against her door and sighed, standing and walking over to the scanner, seeing a regular patient. She opened the door and let him in, sitting him on the makeshift operating table so that she could examine the newest blaster hole in him. “What have you done now?” She asked with a good-natured ribbing. “You do realize that you’re supposed to avoid the blaster fire right, Sliss?” She asked, picking up a bandage from the bowl of bacta she had at the ready, pressing it firmly to the hole of the Trandoshan.

He watched her silently as she patched him up, waiting until the bandage was over the healing wound before he grabbed his blaster and had it pressed under her chin. “Owed Tane says hi.” He told her coldly.

She tensed at the name, a wave of cold travelling down her spine. “Sliss, you really don’t want to do this.” She told him, reaching slowly towards the table where she had all of her supplies, grabbing for the first implement she could.

He stood and stepped forward, pressing the blaster tighter against her. “The payment he gave me says otherwise.” He said, smiling evilly. “I could live _years_ off of the bounty on you.”

She wrapped her hand tightly around the syringe she had found, stabbing it into his neck to distract him, hitting the blaster away from her chin just as it went off, grazing her cheek. She hissed and swept his feet out from under him, grappling with him for the blaster until she heard it go off again.

She sat up, shaking as she saw the surprise on the bounty hunter’s face at the blaster hole in his chest. “See…” She breathed, panting from the exertion. “I told you that you didn’t want to do it.” She said, taking the blaster and tucking it into the waistband of her pants, letting him bleed out on her floor.

“Help… me…” He wheezed.

She grabbed a fresh bandage, dipping it in the bowl of bacta before pressing it to the wound on her face, hissing a little at the sting. “No… I don’t make it a habit to save people who just tried to kill me.” She said, grabbing her bag and shoving the few articles of clothes and medical supplies she’d need into it.

She stepped over him on her way out of the door, pulling the hood of her cloak up as she hurried to the cantina. She needed to get off of this planet. It was a shame, really. She was starting to really love this desolate outpost.

She stepped into the cantina, shaking and exhausted from the fear. She saw Greef Karga sitting at his usual table, his enforcer sitting at his side holding a conversation. She looked around at her patients, none of whom seemed to care that she was there, or simply were disinterested in her presence.

She sat across the table from Karga, looking around at every bounty hunter through her periphery.

“Ms. Tane, what do I owe the pleasure?” Karga asked her, smiling warmly.

Sola tensed at the use of her last name. “Sola, please.” She said softly. “I-I need… I need protection.” She told him.

He looked a little confused since he was well aware of the truce between the hunters and her. “From whom?”

She looked around at the hunters again. “I’ve been found… And it seems like some of your guild members find the pay high enough to break our agreement.”

He frowned. “I don’t know of any bounty on you.” He told her simply. “I haven’t been given a tracking fob on you or a puck.”

She shook her head. “Smugglers wouldn’t do it that way. There wouldn’t ever be an official bounty.” She said, tensing visibly when one of the hunters at the bar stood.

His enforcer sat forward a little, the low creak of leather being the only sound she made for a long moment. “Who do you need protection from exactly?” She asked.

Sola looked away from Karga to his enforcer, noting her tattoos briefly. “My ex-husband… Owed Tane.” She explained. “He didn’t like that I left him… I guess he heard that I survived the war.” She said, laughing humorlessly to keep herself from crying.

“You thought being on a planet of bounty hunters would help you?” She asked skeptically.

She shrugged a little. “I guess I had the same thought that you did, Dropper.” She told her, watching as she stiffened. “Don’t worry, I have some experience with your division.” She said, pulling down the high collar of her shirt to show the insignia of the Resistance that was tattooed over her clavicle. “I was trained as a medic by the best.”

Karga and his enforcer shared a brief look, having a silent conversation that they didn’t want Sola to be privy to. “Do you know anything about children?” He asked her.

She was surprised by the question. “My division dealt mostly with combat, but yeah… I’ve taken care of a few.”

They exchanged one more glance. “We may have a job for you in exchange for your protection, but it’s going to take time for them to get back from off world.”

She nodded. “Can you guarantee safety until they get here?” She asked.

“Yes.” Karga told her simply.

“Then call them. I will take any job to get off of this planet.” She told them.

* * *

A week later found Sola sitting at the table in the cantina, firmly between Karga and the enforcer who she had learned was named Cara. They had made good on their temporary protection, having had to… dispose of a few bounty hunters who thought it would better to collect the bounty than listen to their guild leader.

She took in a shaking breath as she huddled down into her cloak, looking up and smiling nervously at Cara when she put a protective arm around her shoulders. In truth, Cara was about the same height as her, but had several pounds of muscle on her.

Sola was tall and lean, good for outrunning forces rather than fighting against them. It made it easier for her to appear smaller than she was too.

Her breath caught in her throat when the door to the cantina slid open and in walked a Mandalorian. She felt like her bones were going to shake out of her body when she realized who he was. He had been gone by the time she arrived six months ago, but she had heard of him. The wanted bounty hunter.

“Calm down, he’s the contact.” Cara told her, squeezing her shoulder before removing her arm to lean back against the seat as he and a floating pram approached.

“Mando. Good to see you again.” Karga said, smiling at him like they were old friends.

Sola watched the exchange, wondering what the subtle tensing in the man to her right meant. She assumed that there was more to their friendship than it seemed.

“Is this the girl?” He asked by way of greeting, turning his visor to look at her.

She didn’t know why, but she could feel his eyes on her, watching her every move. It made her annoyed rather than angry. “I am not a girl. I’m a woman.” She said, sitting up straighter. “I didn’t survive war to be called ‘girl’.” She spat at him, her eyes widening when she realized that she had just yelled at someone she was trying to get a job from.

Cara smirked at the Mandalorian. “You should know better.” She scolded him playfully, patting her shoulder in solidarity. “Never insult a woman, Mando.”

A sound emitted from his vocoder, a small chuckle as he turned back to her. “What are your qualifications?” He asked. “Karga told me that you’re a medic.”

Sola met his gaze, even though she couldn’t see his eyes. “I was a Resistance medic, with over 18,000 hours of combat experience. I’ve been trained with a blaster and I can fly—”

“Can you take care of non-humans?” He asked, cutting her off.

She nodded. “I’ve taken care of all manner of species.”

He lifted his vambrace and pressed a button, opening the pram next to him to reveal a tiny green creature, looking quizzically at them before his large eyes landed on Cara and he cooed, reaching his tiny, three-fingered hands toward her.

She smirked and stood, leaning over the table to take him. “Hey, kiddo.” She said, petting his head gently.

“Think you can take care of him?” He asked her, nodding his helmet towards the child.

Sola turned her head to look at the creature, her heart already overflowing with the desire to hold him and nurture him. She nodded and reached out to gently touch the creature’s ear. “I would do my best or die trying.” She admitted, unsure of where the instinct to protect him had come from.

The Mandalorian watched her as she gently took the child from Cara, feeling a pang of longing at the tenderness that she took care of his foundling.

She smiled down at the tiny being, making faces at him to get him to laugh. She grinned when he reached up and wrapped his arms around her neck. She held him to her chest tightly, hugging him back. “I will do everything I can to care for him.” She said, meeting his eyes again through the visor.

It took a moment for him to be able to respond to her. “Okay. We leave in an hour.” He said, standing and plucking the child from her embrace, setting him back in the pram and leaving without another word.

She felt cold without the warmth of the child in her arms, wondering if it was a good idea to get so attached to the child. This arrangement was for sure temporary. She only needed this job until she found a new planet that could protect her.


	2. Chapter 2

Sola stood at the base of the ramp that would take her on board the Mandalorian’s ship. She was facing back toward the outpost, however, saying a mental farewell to the place that had become her home.

She felt eyes on her and looked down to her left, smiling a little when she saw the small, green creature she was to be in charge of staring up at her.

“Hey, little one.” She said, adjusting her bag over her shoulder and bending to pick him up. “I was just saying goodbye.” She explained, looking back out at the outpost for a moment. “It was like a home to me, but I guess…” She sighed and looked up at the ship. “I guess this is my home now.” She said, walking up the ramp and into the belly of the ship.

“It’s not so bad, I suppose… At least I have company.” She said, kissing the top of his head as she looked around at her new home. “You can’t begin to imagine how boring it is to spend all your time with non-verbal bounty hunters.” She said, sitting down on top of a crate and holding him in her arms.

She chuckled after a moment, booping him on the nose gently. “I suppose you know about spending time with a bounty hunter at least.”

The child watched her, smiling as she spoke to him. He cooed and babbled at her when she paused as if replying to her.

She laughed and held him tighter. “You are just the cutest little thing, you know that?” She asked him, grinning when he babbled at her. “I bet you do, little one.” She said, looking up when she heard the heavy thudding of boots on the ramp.

She smiled at her employer when he reached them. “Hey, sorry… I got here early and this little one was already here… Do you leave him alone often?”

Mando’s visor stayed trained on her for a long moment before responding. “Not anymore. That’s what you’re here for.” He told her, walking past to put his weapons away in the cabinet.

Her smile fell at the blunt response, but she nodded. “Oh, right… Sorry.” She muttered. “Is there… um… we never spoke about exactly what my job duties are besides that.” She said, standing and walking over, letting the child play with her fingers as she held him.

He shut the locker and turned. “Can you cook?”

She was surprised by the question. “Oh, um… yeah, I can.”

He nodded. “If you could cook, maybe clean up the place… Make sure the little womp rat doesn’t run off after me.” He said, reaching out to pat the child on the head.

Her smile returned at that. “I think I can manage being your live-in nanny.” She told him. “What… What do I call him?” She asked, looking down at the child. “I’ve been calling him little one, but it would probably help if I knew his name.”

Mando looked up, having been watching the child slowly falling asleep in his new caretaker’s arms. “Oh… He doesn’t have one.”

Sola’s eyes widened at that. “How can he not have a name?”

Mando shrugged and moved past her to close the ramps and ready them for flight. “I’ve never needed to call him by one.”

“That won’t do, Mando.” She said simply, looking down at the child and trying to figure out something to call him. “What about… Gil?” She suggested.

Mando shook his head. “No.”

She rolled her eyes but thought again. “Daro?”

He scoffed and shook his head again. “I’ve never met a Daro that I’ve liked.”

She frowned at him. “Fine. What do you want to name him?” She asked.

He shrugged. “I don’t know… _Bora_.” He threw out in an attempt to end the conversation, checking the limited cargo in the hold to make sure that it was secured.

Sola looked down at the child. “What do you think of that name, little one?” She asked, chuckling when he cooed and stuck one of her fingers in his mouth. “I think he likes it.”

Mando walked over, pointedly looking away from the adorably domestic scene she and the child painted. “Fine, call him _Bora_ if you want.” He said, beginning to ascend the ladder. “We’re about to take off so you may want to come strap in.”

She nodded and looked around for something to hold the child before realizing that a bounty hunter’s ship probably didn’t have much in the way of baby supplies. She gently set him down and rifled through her bag, coming up with an old shirt. She set her bag in the lone bunk tucked away near the weapon’s locker and tied the shirt around her diagonally, setting the child in the makeshift sling close to her chest. “There we go, little one.” She said, patting him gently. “Now I can climb the ladder without killing the both of us.”

She climbed the ladder quickly, walking into the cockpit and sitting in the seat behind Mando on his left. “We may need a few things in order for me to take care of him.” She said, securing herself in and wrapping her arms around the child, chuckling when he snuggled deeper into the sling.

Mando nodded, not looking back at the two of them. “Sure, I guess we can get a few things.” He said, lifting the ship off the planet surface and heading off world.

She crossed her legs at the ankles, watching the sky beginning to darken and become peppered with stars. “What does _Bora_ mean?” She asked once they were on course to their next destination.

Mando didn’t speak for a while, choosing to ignore her question. He wasn’t used to this much interaction and he was beginning to wonder if it was a mistake.

He should’ve never listened to Cara when she contacted him.

_“Din, she would be perfect to help you with the kid.”_

_He sighed. “I’m not looking for anyone to help with him. We’re fine out here.”_

_“You need someone to look after him… You can’t keep bringing him with you on bounties or leaving him on the ship. The kid can levitate things… he’s going to get into trouble sooner or later.” She reasoned._

_He glanced back at the kid who was playing with the ball from the control stick on his console. “I’ll meet her, but don’t expect me to agree, Cara.”_

_She chuckled. “Right. I would never expect that from you.”_

He glanced over his shoulder at her, taking in her calm demeanor. She almost looked at home sitting there holding the child. He felt that pang of longing again and turned away, forcing himself to not think like that.

He was only feeling that way because it had been so long since he had someone around. He was lonely, that’s all. It would go away after a few days; it was just a new feeling. That was all.

He cleared his throat. “It means job.” He said simply.

She looked down at the child who had fallen asleep not to long after they had left the planet, laughing. “You want me to call him job?”

He shrugged again, forcing himself to remain neutral at the way her laugh seemed to warm the entire cockpit. “You said he liked it.”

She grinned, nodding. “ _Bora_ it is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bora is pronounce BOE-ra. It is a canon Mando'a word and it does mean job.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> 11 kudos doesn't seem like a lot, but it's so much more than my other Star Wars fic that I got really choked up!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din is a big 'ol sap who likes to pretend he doesn't have feelings.

Din hadn’t heard anything in an hour as they traveled through the stars and put the ship on auto, turning his seat around to ask if something was wrong.

He was instead greeted by a sight that made his chest ache in a way that told him that his earlier assumptions about his feelings going away was the biggest lie he had ever told himself.

Sola was asleep, her head resting back against the seat and her legs stretched out in front of her. She was cradling the child in her arms as she did so, his ears sticking out adorably from the sling in which he lay.

She looked as if she had always been there, the mother that the child deserved. She had fallen so easily into the role that it was as if she was the child’s family that Din had been searching for.

He shook himself a little, having caught himself staring and stood, walking over to them. He reached out to wake her, his hand hovering just above her shoulder before letting it fall back to his side. She was sound asleep, the trust it put in him to keep her safe spoke volumes to him.

Cara had explained why Sola had wanted off planet and how she had slept very little ever since she had been attacked the week prior.

He unfastened the harness that held her into the seat and picked them both up, carrying them past the hatch that took them into the cargo area and into the decommissioned escape pod that he had turned into his own living space.

He laid her down in his bed, gently maneuvering the child out of the sling and into the bed beside her, pulling the covering over them.

He swallowed thickly as he looked at them both, forcing himself to breathe through the clenching around his heart. He reached out despite himself to brush a strand of hair from her cheek, lingering there for a moment before pulling his hand away quickly and hurrying out of the pod.

He dropped into the pilot’s seat and closed the cockpit door, pulling off his helmet so that he could rub at his eyes.

Having her around was going to become an issue… It already had.

* * *

Sola awoke to gentle pings on metal and a small, warm hand on her face.

She took in a deep breath and blinked open her eyes, following the hand back down to its owner and grinning. “Hello, _Bora.”_ She said softly, reaching up to rub at one of his ears gently. “I guess we fell asleep.” She said, sitting up and lifting him into her arms.

She looked around the unfamiliar space, noting the almost military-grade cleanliness that the room was kept in. She stood and put the child back in the sling she had fashioned, tidying up the bed and walking around the small area, examining things here and there until she came across the clothing that hung from a pipe.

Her eyes widened a little. She had suspected as much, but this was proof that she was in the Mandalorian’s personal quarters.

She stepped away quickly and made sure that nothing was out of place before walking out. It took her a moment to orient herself to her location in the ship. “Oh boy, little one.” She said, feeling the heat in her cheeks. “He’s going to be upset with me, I’m sure.” She told him. “Not only did I immediately fall asleep, but he had to carry me into his own room.”

She found herself at the door of the cockpit and hesitated. She debated with herself about going in to apologize but chickened out at the last moment, turning to the hatch and descending to the cargo bay.

She decided that cooking a meal for them would be the best option. Men seemed more receptive to forgiveness when they were full. That was her experience anyway.

She took the child from the sling and set him on a crate nearby as she searched for the ration packs she’d need to make a halfway decent meal for the three of them. “It’ll be alright.” She spoke aloud to him, preparing the meal.

She heard him whine and looked over. He was standing on the crate where she left him, pouting. “What’s wrong?” She asked, walking the short distance back to him. “We’ll be able to eat shortly.” She said, patting his head.

He looked up at her and raised his arms, making the whining noise again.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You want me to hold you again?” She asked, picking him up and holding him to her chest, his head against her shoulder.

He settled easily there, his arms around her neck.

She smiled softly and rubbed his back a little. “I’ll need my hands to cook, little one.” She said, pulling him away gently. “And you can walk, I’ve seen you do it.” She said, booping his nose. “I can’t always hold you.”

His ears drooped and his eyes widened.

She laughed. “Fine, you can sit in the sling, little one, but we’re going to have a talk about this later.” She said, pulling the sling back over her and settling him in while she finished cooking.

She plated the meal and set them up on the crate that she had set the child on earlier since it was large enough to act as a table.

She looked up at the ladder, taking a deep breath. “Let’s hope this works.” She said more to herself than to the child and ascended, knocking on the cockpit door. “Mando…” She said, stepping in once the door opened. “Um… I’ve made us a meal… if you want to join us.” She said, patting _Bora’_ s back gently as she stared at his back.

He stayed silent for a long moment. “I’ll take mine up here.” He told her simply.

Sola tensed a little. He was angry with her. Perfect. “O-oh… Okay…” She said, stepping back a little. “I’ll just bring it to you then.” She said, hurrying back down and returning with it shortly.

She set it on an empty space within the cockpit and stepped back to the door again. “I… Um…” She rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly. “It won’t happen again…” She told him.

He turned slowly in his seat to look at her. “What won’t?” He asked.

She flinched. “I won’t fall asleep on duty again.” She said, putting her arms around the child.

He stared at her from behind his visor silently for several long moments. “Make sure it doesn’t. You have your own cot.” He said simply, turning from her.

She nodded at his back. “Yes, sir.” She muttered, leaving to go feed the child.

* * *

Mando waited until he heard her boots on the ladder before sighing and taking his helmet back off, running his fingers through his hair. She had given him an excuse to not have him in her bed again.

If he was honest with himself, the idea didn’t fill him with annoyance like he thought. He wasn’t honest with himself.

He turned and picked up the plate, looking down at the meal she had brought. It wasn’t amazing considering that it had come from ration packs but she had somehow made it look much more appetizing than when he threw them together.

He smiled softly at that and picked up a piece of bread, taking a bite.

It was going to be a disaster for him when she was finally safe enough to leave them… He chose to ignore the fresh ache in his chest at that thought, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and bearing with me with this absence I kinda went into! School is starting back up for me next week so I was having to prepare for that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first off ship excursion.

Two weeks passed with the three beings falling into a routine. Sola would watch Bora, cook meals, and clean up the ship while the Mandalorian piloted. She would sleep when the child took his various naps so that when Mando wanted to sleep, she could take over for him. It was repetitive, but it worked.

  
She had Bora in his favorite spot— the sling she had fashioned — as she walked into the cockpit for her usual shift. “Are you ready for me to take over?” She asked, setting a protein bar on the console for him.

  
Din looked up at her for a moment and back down. “No. We’re nearing our destination.” He said, clicking a few switches as a planet came into view.

  
Sola looked surprised. She wasn’t aware that they were going to be landing any time soon. “Oh. Alright then. Is this a good planet to hide?” She asked him, holding Bora a little tighter.

  
He stared straight ahead. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he had purposely looked for a place that was just dangerous enough that she wouldn’t be able to stay. He wasn’t honest with himself. “There are a fair amount of bounty hunters that pass through here.” He said, bringing them closer to the ship.

  
Sola was secretly pleased by this. She wasn’t too keen on the idea of leaving the child behind. “Alright. Well maybe I can at least get a few things for a decent meal or two and a few things for the little one.” She said, rubbing his ear as he cooed.

  
Din felt that clench in his chest for a brief moment. It was too domestic of an answer for her to respond with. He was getting better at fighting his reactions, but sometimes they would still take him by surprise. “Right. I’ll give you some credits for the market. Don’t stay long.” He told her.

  
She strapped herself into one of the seats as they began to descend onto the planet. “Of course. I’m not too keen on anyone possibly recognizing me.” She told him, looking through the window at the desert landscape of the planet. “Will you be coming with us?” She asked him.

  
“There’s a bounty here that I need to collect.” He said simply, landing the Razor Crest in a space at the shipyard.

  
She tensed a little. “Right. Of course.” She nodded. “That makes sense.” She said, waiting until he walked out of the cockpit to unfasten her harness and follow him.

  
“Well, little one, I guess it’s just the two of us.” She said, reaching for a mask and her cloak in an attempt to hide her identity. “We’ll just get a few things and come right back.” She said, smiling down into the large black eyes of her charge.

  
She turned to head to the ramp and stopped just before she collided with the Mandalorian. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know you—“

  
“Take this.” He responded, holding out a blaster out to her. “You said you know how to use one, right?” He asked neutrally.

  
She took it and nodded. “Y-yeah. I just... I don’t really like to...”

He grabbed his own cloak and strapped his blasters to his hip before pulling his pulse blaster over his shoulder to hang against his back. “Then let’s hope you don’t have to, but you’re watching the kid so if it comes down to it—“

  
She nodded emphatically before he finished. “Of course... I’ll protect him.” She assured him.

  
He stared at her silently for a long moment, the quiet stretching out almost uncomfortably. “Good.” He said simply, opening the ramp doors and walking out.

  
She let out a long breath, patting the child’s head as she warily followed. “Just a short trip.” She told him, making sure that the mask and cloak were secure before she stepped out onto the planet.

  
She grimaced a little once she stepped away from the shadow of the ship, the triple suns in the sky making her disguise immediately uncomfortable. “I need a better disguise if we’re going to be stopping off on planets like this.” She muttered, patting the child’s head as they walked off towards the bazaar in the city center.

  
She stopped at the first stall she came to, looking over the vegetables that were on display. “What are these?” She asked, picking up a large blue tuber.

  
The woman behind the counter eyed her and shook her head. “Not good for children.” She told her in a heavy accent. “Take this.” She said, picking up a similar vegetable that was half the size. “Better for child and mother.” She explained.

  
“Oh, I’m not... I’m only his caretaker.” She said, patting the child’s head affectionately.

  
The woman smiled, showing a row of yellowed and broken teeth. “Child needs siblings, yes?” She asked, pushing the vegetable back towards Sola. “You take. Give child many siblings.”

  
She shook her head and set the vegetable down, picking up a couple vegetables that she recognized, and set down the credits, hurrying away. “Oh boy little one... I hope that isn’t a common theme here.”

  
She stopped at another couple of stalls, each shop owner trying to sell her a different kind of local fertility treatment to which she politely declined and hurriedly moved on.

  
She sighed and stopped at the last stall, one that displayed several different contraptions. She looked around slowly, keeping an eye on her charge to see if he became interested in any of them.

  
“Oh goodness, that is such a cute child!” The young woman behind the counter said, smiling warmly at them. “I bet he would like one of these.” She said, picking up a wooden articulated doll.

  
The child looked at it, cooing and reaching out towards it.

  
Sola smiled and took it from the lady, holding it within reach of the child. “He does seem to like it.” She said. “How many credits?” She inquired.

  
The young girl shook her head. “Please have it as a gift. We don’t often get children here.” She told her.

  
“That explains why everyone was trying so desperately to sell me fertility treatments.” She said.

“Oh, goodness. Yes, some of the other stalls can be a bit overzealous sometimes.” The woman told her, smiling. “It doesn’t hurt that you have a child already and an attentive spouse.”

  
Sola’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Attentive spouse?”

  
The woman returned the confused look. “The mandalorian that you arrived with... He hasn’t taken his gaze off of you.”

  
Sola turned and searched the busy bazaar, her eyes landing on the Mandalorian. “He said that he had a job.” She muttered, turning to look at the woman. “I’m sorry, I have to be going. Thank you for the gift, I’m sure that he will love it.” She said, giving a forced smile before hurrying back towards the ship.

  
———————-

  
Din stepped off the ship and walked off before Sola had even descended the ramp, ready to find this jumper and get paid. The trio were already working on the remaining credits he had from his last job and he needed money for fuel and food if they weren’t planning to starve and drift in space forever.

  
The tracker lead him almost immediately to the bounty, a whiney senator’s son who crumpled as soon as he saw the Mandalorian standing in front of him. He brought him back onto the ship and shoved him into the carbonite freezer just to shut off the sounds of the boy’s crying and pleading.

  
He checked the time, noticing that he had been gone for an hour, much longer than he had expected it to have taken him, and walked around the ship to look for Sola and the child. Their presence, or lack thereof, caused his stomach to sink and he hurried back off the ship and towards the bazaar.

  
He searched the crowd, sighing with relief when he saw the large green ears of the child sticking out from the sling on Sola’s front.  
Din chalked it up to being concerned simply for the child’s safety, but seeing that Sola was safe gave him a sense of relief that hit him like a pulse blast.

  
He took a few steps into the crowd and towards them, but stopped. He wasn’t exactly sure why he was moving towards them in the first place. They didn’t seem to be in any danger, and if Sola noticed him standing next to her, she would probably run off.

  
He stepped back out of the crowd of beings and found a good vantage point to watch them as they walked around the various stalls. He noted that Sola would be offered different herbs or vegetables to which she would deny and then hurry off to another stall. He idly wondered what was being offered that was making her so nervous.

When she would get too close to where he was standing, he would move a bit further away. Just to keep a good watch on her. Since she was holding the child. That was his only motivation of course.

  
The last stall she stopped at offered the child something and chatted with Sola for several long moments. He watched as the shop owner said something and made Sola turn, her eyes finding him immediately.

He tensed when she saw him. He hadn’t intended to be seen and was planning to leave just before she did so that she never noticed that he was there. That plan was shot to shit now though when she turned and ran off towards the ship.

  
He sighed and started the walk back towards the ship, trying his hardest to come up with a convincing lie as to what he was doing in the bazaar in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me!
> 
> I promise to update more frequently!!!
> 
> Much love and May the gods favor you all!!
> 
> Linden


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sola has a scare and Din has a realization.

Sola hurried back towards the ship, dropping her goods onto the crate she used as a makeshift table. She pulled off her disguise and took Bora gently from his sling, setting him onto the floor. “What was he even _doing_ there?” She asked, pacing the floor.

“Did he think—“ She turned when she heard footsteps on the ramp of the ship, ready to tear the Mandalorian a new one. “You— You’re not Mando.” She said, looking at the hulking figure standing between her and the exit.

The intruder smiled wickedly. “No, I’m not your precious Mando.” He said in a gravelly tone, pulling his blaster from its holster.

She backed up a step, making sure to put herself between this man and the child. “Whatever you’re doing here, you better leave. He’ll be back and the Mandalorian doesn’t like intruders on his ship.” She said bravely, even though her heart felt as though it would beat through her chest.

The man laughed, stepping closer towards them. “I’ll be gone with my bounties long before your precious Mandalorian gets back.” He assured her, aiming the blaster at her. “I can take you in warm—“

The sound of blaster fire echoed in the hold, the man staring in surprise at her before dropping his own blaster and reaching for the wound on his chest.

“You shot me.” He said in astonishment before collapsing onto the floor.

Sola stared at the body, the hand holding the blaster that Mando had given her earlier shaking so hard that it clattered to the ground.

The sound of cooing behind her broke her from her panic and she turned to pick up the child, cradling him to her chest. “It’s okay, little one.” She whispered, her voice shaking. “It’s okay.”

She heard boots on the ramp again, too much in shock to reach for the blaster at her feet. She stood there, her entire body shaking as the Mandalorian rushed into the ship.

“What happened?” He asked loudly, looking at the body on the floor of his ship. “I heard blaster fire.” He said, hurrying over to them.

Sola all but collapsed as she spoke. “H-he was here for me.” She said, holding onto the child like a lifeline. “I-I don’t know how he found me.” She said quietly.

Din reached for her, catching her before she crumpled to the ground. “Are you hurt?” He asked, looking her over.

Sola shook her head. “He was the biggest bounty hunter I’ve ever seen.” She said, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. “I’ve shot and killed people before, but I… He wasn’t going to kill me.”

“It’s okay.” Din told her, pulling her into an embrace. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

She leaned into him, still shaking violently from the adrenaline. “We need to go.” She said, clinging to him with her free hand while holding Bora with her other.

Din nodded and rested his forehead against hers. “Go lay down with the kid. I’ll take care of everything.” He said softly.

She nodded and pulled herself away from him, taking the child to her pod on the other side of the ship and locking them in.

—————

Din walked slowly back towards the ship, finally coming up with the excuse that he wanted to make sure that the child was safe when he heard blaster fire coming from the Razor Crest.

He swore and took off at a run, a million different scenarios running through his head. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe a bounty hunter had found her and— No. He wasn’t going to think that one.

He ran up the ramp, stopping when he saw a large body lying on the floor of the ship. His eyes went immediately to Sola. “What happened?” He asked, breaking her from her fear-induced spiral. “I heard blaster fire.” He said, giving in to his impulse to go to them.

He caught her as her knees gave out, holding her by the shoulder to keep her upright. He fought the urge to scoop her up into his arms and carry her to the cockpit as she explained to him what happened.

“It’s okay.” He said softly, pulling her into his arms. He was relieved that she hadn’t been hurt. He would never have forgiven himself if she or the child had been injured because he wasn’t there. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.” He admitted.

“We need to go.” She told him. He could feel how strongly she was holding onto his cape from the force it was being pulled downward.

Din was reluctant to let her go, to let her leave his arms. He put his forehead against hers, a sign of affection in Mandalorian culture. “Go lay down with the kid. I’ll take care of everything.” He assured her.

She pulled away and hurried to her cot with the child.

He watched until the door lowered, sealing the two of them in before he let out a long sigh.

He turned to the man’s body, heading down the ship to the small crowd that had collected. He offered credits to a couple of workers to move the body off the ship and closed the ship up tight before heading up to the cockpit.

He sat in the pilot’s seat for several long moments before he removed his helmet, resting his head in his hands.

When did he become this involved? Why did the thought of losing her, of losing the both of them, fill him with so much dread that he felt like the entire galaxy revolved around them?

If he was honest with himself, he would admit that from the first time he saw her holding the child, he knew that he was in too deep.

He wasn’t honest with himself.

He put his helmet back on and pulled up the holo com, recording a message.

“This is a message to any bounty hunter out to collect on an innocent woman and child…” He said seriously, holding back his anger. “They are under my protection and if anyone tries to collect on them, they will have to go through me.” He said, sending the message before he could rethink it.

This was a disaster. In more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically it is Dec 31st where I am, so this is another chapter for another day!
> 
> Happy New Years Eve everyone!!!!
> 
> Thank you all again for your support! As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated!
> 
> May the gods watch over you all!
> 
> -Linden


End file.
